Let’s forget modesty for a second.
If attraction were the issue, this would all be easy. But Carlos overthought everything, tripped over his own intentions, and sabotaged himself before anyone else could. So, beside whatever one sided thing was going on between Carlos and Amira, living together felt natural, especially now that Ilias was married to her best friend. They had done it before, during a few competitions, and it had worked wonderfully. In fact, Alejandra couldn’t help wondering why she hadn’t suggested it sooner, especially knowing this championship would be Ilias’ last.
The thought sat heavy in her chest. The idea of not having one of her closest friends on tour anymore hurt more than she liked to admit. Ilias had already taken a two year break, but that felt more definitive.
She’d said goodbye to other surfers over the years. She was thirty-three now; retirements had become common. Some left to build families, others to grow businesses, others for reasons she never fully understood. Because for Alejandra, surfing wasn’t just a phase or a passion, it was her life. Competing was the unavoidable part of the job, the part that paid the bills, that kept her family supported. If she wanted security, if she wanted stability, she had to win. And quitting, choosing something else, had never felt like a real option.
“Anyone around?” Alejandra asked Gretchen, dropping onto one of the stools at the kitchen island. Behind her, the sound of the North Shore waves had soothed her all night.
“Ilias and Amira are out for a run with my husband. Yourbrother’s probably still asleep. And here I am, making a smoothie. Want some?” Gretchen offered, her Dutch accent still ever-present after all these years.
“Yes, please.” Alejandra grinned, reviving her waves with her fingers before tying her hair up into a ponytail. Her gaze naturally drifted out toward the ocean, watching the swell roll in.
“A good swell is coming,” Gretchen said, following her eyes. “You ready?”
“Always,” Alejandra replied, though she scrunched her nose. “Even though with Pipeline I have a love and hate relationship. It’s the only place I always wear a helmet.”
After she’d hit her scalp on the reef the year before, she had zero interest in repeating that particular experience. The ocean was humbling like that. Just when you thought you’d mastered it, it knocked you back down and reminded you who was in charge.
“The reef underneath is pretty brutal,” Gretchen agreed.
They fell into a comfortable silence, Alejandra still watching the waves. They came in sets—clean, well-spaced. But she knew better than to trust surface-level impressions. Waves could be studied all day, and still shift the second you paddled in. The unpredictability was half the thrill. Maybe that’s why she loved it so much.
When her phone buzzed against the table, Sofia’s name flashed on the screen.
“I’ll answer outside.”
Gretchen nodded and motioned that she’d bring the smoothie out.
“How are you? Ready for tomorrow?” Sofia asked immediately.
“Pretty much. As always. Why are you calling? Shouldn’t you be cheering on your husband?” Alejandra teased.
“Oh, please,” Sofia scoffed. “You know I always cheer for you.”
Alejandra smiled. Same oldmentirosaSofi. Her best friend was probably extremely glad men and women never competed against each other. She had a very big heart and she wanted everyone to win, which couldn’t be the case in competitions.
“Besides,” she added, “I can root for you both to win. No one gets hurt.”
“Amira and I will inevitably face each other. Who will you cheer for? Your best friend or your sister-in-law?”
“I’ll cheer for both of you and hope you never face each other,” Sofia admitted, laughing, confirming what Alejandra already knew.
“Where are you?”
“On my way to London. Meeting with the nerd trio.”
Alejandra slumped into the outdoor couch, eyes fixed on the ocean, the same exact blue as those damn eyes she couldn’t stop thinking about.
Of course she was meeting them.Him. Terrible idea, having a one-night stand with her best friend’s hot colleague. She had heard his name more times than she cared to count, and every time her mind wandered, remembered how good it felt to be held by someone who knew how to worship her body. Because yes, Callum had worshipped every inch of it, and even four months later, she could still feel the buzz, the lingering touch of his fingers, his mouth, his bites.
“Great. What do they need you for this time?”
“Big marine corporate case in the States. Theft, IP violations, the usual.”
Alejandra nodded, but her mind was already drifting. Four months of silence, and still, Callum haunted her.
“Want me to say anything to Callum?”
